Death of Idi Amin at Age Eighty - 2003-08-16

Idi Amin, who lived in Saudi Arabia, had been hospitalized since July 18 and was connected to life support machines. When he was admitted to King Faisal Specialist Hospital, he was in a coma due to high blood pressure. According to hospital officials, his kidneys also failed upon his arrival. Amin's eight-year rule in Uganda, from 1971 to 1979, was marked by numerous human rights violations. The number of people tortured and killed was so high that they could not dig graves quickly enough for the dead, and were forced to throw the bodies into the Nile River. The bodies of Amin's victims were sometimes fed to crocodiles, and at times, the remains would block the water pipes that powered Uganda's hydroelectric plant in Jinja. Amin declared himself president for life but ultimately had to flee Uganda and escape to Libya. He then sought refuge in Iraq and finally in Saudi Arabia, where he was allowed to stay on the condition that he would not interfere in political matters. Amnesty International states that Idi Amin's life for over two decades was spent in comfort while emphasizing the need for a system to bring perpetrators of crimes against humanity to justice. Amin seized power in Kampala on January 25, 1971, while President Milton Obote was abroad, taking control of the fate of 24 million people in the country with an iron fist, executing many of his real and imagined enemies, and awarding himself numerous medals. In 1972, he expelled over ten thousand Far Eastern traders who had influence over Uganda's trade. Following this, Uganda's economy fell into chaos. Human rights groups estimate that up to five hundred thousand people were killed by Amin's regime.